PEANUTS: The Next ChapterEpisode 29: Christmas Miracles
by HPDrummerman
Summary: Sally finally comes home in time for Christmas, but now has to go around in a wheelchair until she heals up. Frieda tries to cheer up Charlie Brown who has become despondent over Sally's predicament. Meanwhile, Schroeder becomes more depressed about what happened to Sally and makes it a point to apologize to her, despite being told by many that he wasn't at fault.
1. Chapter 1

Episode 29: Christmas Miracles

**CHAPTER 1: SALLY COMES HOME**

A few days before Christmas, Sally was cleared to go home. She had recovered from the surgery on her spine and now all she needed to do was try to walk again. Rehabilitation for her would start in about a week. For now she was to relax and take it easy and let her body heal even more. Charlie Brown was glad to have her home, but was still worried about how she was acting. Sally had been depressed since she found out that she wouldn't be able to walk for a while. The damage to her spinal cord required surgery and it needed to heal some. Plus it had to regenerate so that the sensation to her legs could come back.

When the siblings, along with Frieda and Michael, walked in the house, they were immediately greeted by Snoopy who was happy to have both of them home. Trevor, who stayed a little longer and still had time off from touring, was happy that his cousin was home, as well.

"Welcome home, Sally," greeted Trevor.

"Thanks, Trevor," said a melancholy Sally.

"Everything okay?" asked a concerned Trevor.

"After the surgery, Trevor," Charlie Brown began, "Sally's spinal cord needs to heal up, but she isn't able to walk right now. So she's sad about that. But she starts rehab in a couple of weeks."

"Well that's good," Trevor replied. "At least you'll be able to walk again."

"Maybe," said Sally. "Maybe not. For all we know I'll be stuck here in this wheelchair for the rest of my life!" And she wheeled herself to her room, crying."

"I'm worried about her, Trevor," said an equally sad Charlie Brown.

"I don't blame you, Charlie," said Trevor. "I couldn't imagine going through what Sally has to right now."

"All we can do is pray," said Frieda.

"And I'll help out as much as I can," added Michael.

"We appreciate that, Michael," said Charlie Brown. "Right now, I think she needs to process this. She's not going to be in any mood for talking."

"I understand, Charlie Brown," said Michael. "I better get going. I'll come back over around Christmas. That'll give Sally some time to adjust, if she can." And Michael headed out the door.

"I better get going too, sweetie," said Frieda to Charlie Brown. "I'll see you tomorrow." After kissing her boyfriend, she too headed for home. Charlie Brown, Trevor, Snoopy, and Spike all went into the living room to watch some TV before bed. All were wondering what the next few months were going to be like for Sally.

Around the same time, Lucy was walking with Schroeder as the snow began to fall. He was a little better than before, but was still sad about Sally's situation. He wasn't blaming himself like he was before, but he still felt bad for what had happened to her.

"Charlie Brown told me that Sally was coming home today," Lucy began.

"He told me, too," said a gloomy Schroeder.

"I wonder if she'll ever walk again," Lucy wondered. "I couldn't imagine going through what she's going through right now. At least there's a big chance she'll walk again. We can be thankful for that."

"Yeah, maybe," Schroeder replied, "but what if she doesn't?"

"Don't think like that, babe!" said Lucy. "Try to be optimistic. It could have been a lot worse than it is now. Sally might not had been here right now. It may not seem like it now, but she was really lucky to not get killed."

Schroeder sighed. Deep down he knew Lucy was right. But at the same time he was thinking things looked very bleak for Sally. And unbeknownst to him, Sally herself was thinking the same thing as he was. She knew she'd be going to rehab in a couple of weeks, but she didn't think she would ever walk again.

**NEXT CHAPTER: FINALLY SOME GOOD NEWS**


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2: COMPENSATION**

The next day, Charlie Brown's parents had received a phone call. It was the school board. They had heard about the accident at the auditorium and they had offered to pay for all of Sally's medical bills and rehabilitation. So the Browns would not have to deal with any medical expenses. This was good news for the family and that meant that Sally could go to rehab without a dark cloud of debt hanging over her family.

Also, since their cousin was Trevor B. and he performed at the show, he was able to use his celebrity to bring attention to the crumbling auditorium so something like what happened to Sally wouldn't happen to another kid. He told the media that the Birchwood Auditorium needed upgrading or a complete rebuild. Therefore something like Sally's accident would not happen again. And the president of the school board announced that they would plan on rebuilding the auditorium and Birchwood students could perform at the nearby Applewood auditorium in the future while reconstruction was going on. So it looked like the Browns didn't have to sue the school district, as they volunteered to help them out.

Still, Sally was feeling melancholy about her situation. Never in a million years did she think that she would end up in a wheelchair, much less unable to walk on her own. But there she was, dependent on others. Even if it would have felt great to have her brother serve on her hand and foot, she still liked having some independence to walk where she wanted to. So that particular day, Lucy, Linus, Eudora, and Rerun came over to see how she was doing. Sally was lying in bed, not moving at all. Just staring at the ceiling.

"Hey, Sally," announced Linus. "How are you feeling?" She didn't say anything.

"The kids at school misses you and all and they ask your brother about you all the time," Linus continued. Still nothing.

"Look, Sally," Lucy began, "I know you're upset about your situation, and I understand why you would be, but you need to snap out of this."

"Please Sally," begged a tearful Eudora. "We're here for you. We love you." But Sally didn't crack. Not one emotion came out of her. Not one word uttered. It was as if she gave up on life. Charlie Brown walked in.

"She's been like this ever since coming home from the hospital," he sighed. "Quite frankly, I'm worried about her."

"This is beyond depression, Charlie Brown," said Linus. "She's given up. I think her will to live has went away."

"Don't say that, you blockhead!" scolded Lucy to her brother. "Sure she's upset about her predicament, but she hasn't lost any will to live!"

"Anyway, I think that some counseling will help her if she can get herself out of bed, that is," Linus continued.

"I hope she's willing to even do that, Linus," said Charlie Brown. "Because if she continues like this, I'm afraid she may well…"

"Don't think like that, Charles," said Eudora. "Sally will be okay. We are all upset about her situation and we all want her to get out of this funk. We just need to give her some time."

"You're right, Eudora," Charlie Brown replied. "I'm just worried about her."

"We all are, Charlie Brown," said Lucy. "If you need to talk, my psychiatric booth is still available. This time, given the situation, I'll waive the five cent fee I usually charge."

"Thanks, Lucy," said Charlie Brown. "Thanks to all of you. I think we should give Sally some space for now."

"Good idea, Charlie Brown," said Linus. And the kids left her room. Sally hadn't stopped looking at the ceiling. After everyone left, she started crying softly.

Back in the living room, Frieda had just shown up and joined the group. Trevor B. was with them as well, along with Snoopy, Woodstock, and Spike.

"How's Schroeder been doing, Lucy?" asked Charlie Brown.

"He's still kind of upset about this," Lucy responded. "Although he knows the school was to blame for what happened and not him, he still feels responsible. He's been getting some counseling, himself."

"Probably for the best," said Charlie Brown. "It's a good thing the school is paying for Sally's treatment and rehabilitation, otherwise, as bad as this situation is now, it would have been even worse without the help."

"That's true, sweetie," said Frieda. "I'm just glad the rest of us didn't get hurt. It could have been any one of us on that stage that got hit by that sandbag."

"Are you staying for Christmas, Trevor?" asked Linus.

"Yeah, I got some time off from the road," answered Trevor. "And I promised Charlie here that I'd be around for one of these Christmases. Plus with Sally needing all the help she can get right now, it's a good thing I'm off the road for a while."

Snoopy came back wearing a nurse's aide outfit. Charlie Brown monologue, "There goes the World-Famous Nurse's Aide on his way to check out the patient in Room 3." And Snoopy went in to look in on Sally. All of the sudden, the kids heard a commotion.

"GET OUT, YOU CRAZY BEAGLE!" shouted Sally from her room. And Snoopy hightailed it out of there. Spike and Woodstock followed him outside.

"Well, that beagle of yours was able to do what we weren't, Charlie Brown," observed Lucy. "He was able to get Sally to talk for a bit!" And the kids had a good laugh at that. It was the light-hearted thing they needed to forget the drama for a bit.

**NEXT CHAPTER: SHOPPING WITH PEPPERMINT PATTY AND MARCIE**


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3: LAST-MINUTE SHOPPERS**

At the Sparkyville Mall, last-minute Christmas shoppers were trying to get their gifts before the 25th would arrive. Amongst the crowd were Peppermint Patty and Marcie. They were looking for gifts for their boyfriends. Marcie was able to get Hans a new novel for him, as like her, he loved reading. Though she was able to get two copies of the same novel; one in English, and another in his native German. Peppermint Patty, on the other hand, was having a difficult time trying to come up with a good gift for Franco.

"Why not a rugby ball, sir?" suggested Marcie. "You know how much he loves rugby."

"I gave him that for his birthday, remember?" said a frustrated Patty. "No, I need to give him a gift that reflects other interests that he has."

"Well, what kind of hobbies does Franco have?"

"He does like to play those war games online. You know where you get together on the internet with other gamers and play in teams, and you have to defeat another team and do different quests."

"That's it! Give him a video game he can play online, sir. He will love you for that."

"Not a bad idea, Marcie. I think I'll do that. Incidentally, you know what else would be a good idea?"

"What's that?"

"It would be a good idea for you to STOP CALLING ME 'SIR'!" And the two girls went to video game store to pick out a game for Franco.

Elsewhere, Franklin and Melanie were walking down a snow-covered sidewalk when they saw Schroeder walking towards them. They knew how much of a wreck he had been since Sally's accident and how he held himself responsible, even though it wasn't his fault. However, when they saw him, they noticed that he looked rather normal. Not as upset as he had been. In fact, he looked like he was in a good mood.

"Hey, Schroeder," said Franklin. "How are things, man?"

"Not too bad," he said. "Starting to feel better about the whole Sally situation. I'm now beginning to accept that I wasn't at fault for the accident, and that my guilt feelings were manufactured out of that tragedy."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that," said a happy Franklin.

"How do you manufacture guilt feelings?" asked a confused Melanie.

"Wait, wha…?"

"Don't try to read much into that question, man," said Franklin. "Anyway, I'm glad you're feeling better. Let's just hope Sally can get past this. Charlie Brown had told me about how she was doing."

"Yeah, I heard she was depressed about her situation," said Schroeder, face dropping. "Now, instead of feeling guilt, I feel like I should help with anything she needs."

"That's admirable of you, Schroeder," Franklin replied. "And I'm sure Charlie Brown would appreciate it, too."

"Frankie, who is this 'admirable' you talk about?" asked Melanie, even more confused. "Outside of your dad, I don't think you know any military people."

"Oh good grief!" sighed Schroeder.

**NEXT CHAPTER: GETTING SALLY MOVING**


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4: MOTIVATION**

"Sally, you can't keep going like this," Charlie Brown pleaded. "You need to get out of bed and get moving. I know you're upset about what happened to you, but if you're going to walk again, you need to snap out of this."

"What's the point?" said Sally. "I'm a paraplexal!"

"That's 'paraplegic'," corrected Charlie Brown.

"Whatever. Anyway, I'm now stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of my life."

"Sally, the doctor said you only sustained damage to your spinal cord. It didn't get severed, so the paralysis is only temporary, unless you do nothing. And with rehab starting in a couple of weeks, the least you can do is some leg stretching. I'll even help you."

"You'd help me, big brother?"

"Of course. Anything to help you recover. Besides, Michael has been dying to see you since coming home."

"Has he really? He still loves me, even though I'm a para- parapl- paraplegic?"

"Absolutely! So how about getting out of that bed?" And Sally finally slid herself out of bed and into her wheelchair. Charlie Brown offered to push her out, but Sally stopped him.

"No, big brother," she said. "I got to do this myself."

"Go ahead, Sally," said a happy Charlie Brown. And Sally wheeled herself out of her bedroom for the first time since coming home from the hospital. When they went into the living room, Sally was surprised to see Michael was already there to see her. Trevor, Snoopy, and Spike were there, too.

"Hey, Sally," greeted Michael.

"Michael!" said a happy Sally. "I'm so glad you're here!" And Michael hugged his girlfriend.

"Trevor and I will leave you two to catch up," said Charlie Brown. "We have some Christmas shopping to do before the stores close."

"Hopefully I can dodge my fans while out in public," added Trevor.

"No kidding," Charlie Brown replied. "Whenever you're in town, where usually nobody would give me the time of day, I actually become the most popular kid in town." And the two cousins went shopping with their dogs in tow.

Also, Schroeder finally got back to playing his piano. Lucy was with him. He was starting to feel much better, but he still wanted to talk to Sally about what had happened. Charlie Brown assured him that he wasn't at fault as everyone else, but he still felt like he owed it to her as director of the Christmas show.

"Are you coming over for Christmas, Schroeder?" asked Lucy.

"Yeah, I'll be over in the afternoon," Schroeder replied.

"Good. We're also paying Sally a visit to see how she's doing now. Linus, Rerun, Eudora, and I went over there a couple of days ago, and Sally was out of it, almost catatonic."

"Well I do want to see her, at the very least to see if she's okay."

"That's all we can do, babe." And Schroeder continued to play while Lucy listened to the music. While he wasn't beating himself up about it like he was before, he still felt like he needed to make things right with him and Sally. So he would take the opportunity to go see her.

Elsewhere, Frieda and Eudora were doing some last-minute shopping of their own. They had gotten their boyfriends some stuff they would like. Frieda got Charlie Brown kites for the spring. She bought multiple kites because of his troubles with flying them and at times getting them stuck in trees. Eudora got Linus a briefcase for his school books. She was sure not to get him a new blanket, as he was still trying to kick the habit after his old one got caught in the woodchipper over a month earlier. Once they had their gifts, the girls then went to Joe's Café for a quick bite to eat, then headed for home. It was going to be a busy Christmas the next day.

**NEXT CHAPTER: HAPPINESS AND CHEER**


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5: JOY TO ALL**

Christmas had finally arrived and Charlie Brown. Sally, and Trevor opened their gifts. They were all happy with what they got. Sally was starting to feel like her old self again, and couldn't wait to start rehab so she could start walking again. Snoopy and Spike had their brothers, Andy and Olaf, over as well. Their friends would be coming over later that day.

"Hey Charlie," Trevor began, "did you get everything you wanted?"

"Almost," Charlie Brown replied. "I'll have everything I have when Frieda comes over."

"Same with me and Michael," added Sally.

Snoopy and his brothers all came in with their supper dishes expecting food. Charlie Brown rolled his eyes.

"Feeding just Snoopy is work in itself," Charlie Brown lamented, "but FOUR BEAGLES WITH THE SAME SIZED APPETITE?! Good grief!" The beagles laughed.

Later, Frieda, Michael, along with Lucy, Linus, Rerun, Schroeder, Eudora, Peppermint Patty, Marcie, Franco, Hans, Franklin, and Melanie were all over at the Browns home. They decided to have a get-together for Sally. Michael was very supportive of Sally and was ready to help his girlfriend out any way he could. Schroeder also wanted to clear the air with Sally.

"Sally," he began, "I just wanted to say how sorry I was that you got hurt that night after the show."

"It's all right, Schroeder," Sally assured him. "Sure it's bad that I'm in this predicament, but I am going to get better."

"That's what I keep telling him, Sally," said Lucy.

"Did you get everything you wanted for Christmas, sweetie?" asked Frieda to Charlie Brown.

"I sure did, Frieda," he responded. "Sally's finally out of her funk over her situation, as is Schroeder. I'm sure feeling better, myself. You're here with me, as is all of my closest friends. I couldn't ask for anything more."

"Well it's not over yet, baby," said Frieda. "As Trevor and I have something for you and everyone else. Hit it, Schroeder!" And Schroeder proceeded to play his piano, which he brought with him. Snoopy and his brothers joined in with Schroeder with Snoopy on guitar, Spike on fiddle, Andy on drums, and Olaf on brown jug. Frieda and Trevor took center stage in the middle of the living room.

_Have yourself a merry little Christmas_

_Let your heart be light_

_From now on your troubles will be out of sight_

_Have yourself a merry little Christmas_

_Make the Yuletide gay_

_From now on your troubles will be miles away_

_Here we are as in olden days_

_Happy golden days of yore_

_Faithful friends who are dear to us_

_Gather near to us once more_

_Through the years we all will be together_

_If the fates allow_

_Hang a shining star upon the highest place_

_So have yourself a merry little Christmas_

_Have yourself a merry little Christmas_

_So have yourself a merry little Christmas_

**THE END**

"**Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"** written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane

© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC


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